Clean-out tool



Jan. 23, 1940. E TATALOVICH 2,187,845

CLEAN-OUT TOOL Filed Aug. 14, 1939 INVENTOR TTORNEY.

I m: and intendedlfunctions.

Patented Jan. 23, i

3 UNITED CLEAN-OUT roon Eli Tatalov-ich, nerrin; nrql "OF-F og.

Application August 14, 1939,. Serial No. {289,989

4 Claims (or. "166- 19) shell suitable screws or theflilge l0, andwhichis connected through a conventional eleca This invention relatesgenerally to oil-well operatingflequipmentl and, more particularly, to acertain new-and useful improvement in such equipment oi ,thetype,,c0mmonly known as g; clean-out tools for removing from the wellsludge, sand, mud slime, and the-like.

My invention has for its primary objects the provision of av tool of.the typeand for the purposes statedwhich is selfoontained, compact,

10; and durable, which is easily .and conveniently usable, which iseconomical in operation and maintenance; which is=,ca'pable ofeffecting, the removal speedily and efiiciently of relatively largequantifies of ,sludge; sand, mud,- and the like from the depths of awellgwhich automatically provides a. [signal for' visual indication of.full loadingcf. the tool, ,which may be simply and quickly discharged orunloaded, and which is" highly efficient in; the performance of itsstated 7 And with the above and other objects in view, my inventionresides. in the 'novel features of: form,v construction, arrangement;and combination'ofv parts presently describedand pointed out-in-theclaims.-- 25 In theaccompanying drawing xfiguretgilis .alongitudinal sectional View of a clean-out tool constructed in:aaccordance with andflembodying my present invention;

tFigures5 and 6 are enlarged fragmentarysideeleva-tional views f thedischarge end of thetool,

3 illustrating inzdetail" the manner in which the and detached from thebody of the tool;

Figure 7'isan inverted plan view of: the lower or working end of thetool; and

Figure 6. i l v v "Referring'now in more-detail and by referencecharacters: to the drawing, which illustrates a 45 preferred embodimentof my present invention,

elongated cylindrical tube I: threadedly or other wise detachablyconnected-to which at its upper end-is a relatively short tubularextension 2, in I turn, at its upper end threadedly provided with aclosed end cap 3 having a projecting eye-4' for receiving a toolsupporting cable 5. v i

At-its lower'end, the tubular extension 2 is I provided with atransversely disposed partition 5 B fixed inplace by means of a screw orthe like and disposedin the tubular -ex tension 2 above the partition 6;is] a hermetically sealed-gas,

water, and oilproof-- chamber or compartment 8 for housing an electricmotor 9, the casing of which is preferably fixed to the container 8' andFigures 2,3, and. 4 aretransvierse sectional;

sludge-retaining plug removably' engaged with V l the tool, generallydesignated asAgcomprises an purposes presently fully appearing. p

Suitably fixed, as by means of screws or the like '31 in, and extendingtransversely across the trica-l conduit H hermetically sealed in, andextending through, the cap 3 to a suitable source of power (not-shown)located at. the surface of the-well; the conduit ll beingconventionallylashed to the, supporting cable 5 and connected at ':.surface inserieswith a conventional ammeter i=2; all as best seen; in Figurejl and forpurposes presently fully appearing; v .The motor :9 is equipped witha-drive-shaft l3 extending axially downwardly through a cen trallydisposed opening M in the partition 6 and through also aconventionalpacking ring [5' and stufling box llihmounted onthe underside of the partition fi,'the shaft 13 being provided at its outerorwfree' "end. with a'conventional coupling flangel 'li v 1 Fixed.within the tube or shell l by means of upper andlowei'. sets of.radially disposed bolts l8" and spacersor bushings I 9; is a oo-axiallyex- 1 tending innertubeof substantially smaller is y diametral size.than the tube I and terminating at its upperand. lowerends,respectively, a short distance inwardly fromwthe upper and lowerends otthetube l2.

At its lower end; the tube l is counter-bored in the provision of .a-recess 2| and provided with a pair of: diametral-ly opposite bayonetslots 22 fnr retentively receiving the radially outwardly presented lugs23 of a closure plug 24 provided witlra central bore-oraperture 25 ofsnug-fitting embracing engagement around the lower end of the innertube; r

fits outer-"falte the plug 24 isprovided also with a pair of? internallythreaded recesses 26 for receiving l'ocking screws 21 when the plug isin placetopprevent accidental or unauthorized removal thereof.

At-its' lower end; the plug 24 is provided with a diametrally"enlargedstop or limiting flange 28 for endwise abuttingengagement with the lowermarglnotthe tube 1', the plug 24' being also providedwi'th a pair ofdiametral'ly opposed downwardly extending anti-rotation prongs 29 andbeenlarged funnel-shapedmouth orjintake orifice 30, all as best seen inFigures 1. and5 and or upper end of; the tube or shell I a shortdistance upwardlyfrom the upper end of the inner tube '20, is a secondpartition 32 transversely provided centrally with v an anti-frictionbearingsleeve 33' and formed on its under facewith an annulardefiectionchannel 34 preferably of suit- .ablearcuatecross section.

Having a shank 35 engaged with the flange I! by a flexible coupling 36and rotatablein the convoluted cutter blades 38 terminating, in turn jga short distance above the lower extremity of the anti-rotation prongs29, all as best seenimFigures 1 and'6. i

In use and operation, the tool A is lowered by 7 means of the cable 5into the particular well' 'casing until the tool comes to rest at thebottomor foot of the well, when, the cable 5 being relaxed, theanti-rotation prongs 29, under the weight of the entire structure,willbecome embedded in the mud and slime at the casing bottom.Thereupon, the motor 9 being energized and the material conveyor 31 setin rotation, the cutter blades 38 will diginto the mud and silt at thecasing bottom and propel the same upwardly through the intake orifice 30and inner tube 20 into the deflection :channel 34, from which the :siltand the like will be directedoutwardly and downwardly into 'the'outer orso-called bucket'chamber b of the .shell -I.-.- .As thebucketchamber bfills, the entrained air and gases will be exhausted through ventapertures 12, preventingthe tool A from becominggas locked,- As soonasthebucket cham-- ber b has beencompletely filled, the load on thematerial conveyor 3Lwill increase sharply,:efiect-' ing a correspondingincrease in the amperage consumed by the'motor .Such increased amperageconsumptionwill. result in a marked do,

fiection of the ammeter [2, thereby visually indicating to the, operatorthatthestoolrhas become filled to capacity. The operator thereupon shutsoff the current to the motor-9zand elevatesthe tool ,Aout of the wellcasing. Y, .1

Upon removal from the casing, the loaded tool A ,may be swung over asuitable discharge ,pit

and ,the locking screws 21 removedfrom the, plug.

A again lowered into the ,wellircasing ,for a sue-z cessive excavating,operation-r it being; of course," obvious that such operations ;may:besuccessively repeated any number of times, ;dependi ng upon theamount ofmud, sludge, and siltqwhich has collectedin the casing bottom.v I

, It will be evident that,,by my invention, 1 pro: vide a clean-out toolwhich is not only; simple and economical in construction, but which isalso speedy and efficient in operation and extremely rugged and durable.It willbe furthernoted that themotor and motorv bearings are securelyprol-= tected against damage by, water,;oil, or gas, and;

that the tool ,automaticallyprovides a signal indicating to the operatorthat the tool is filled .to;

capacity and should-be withdrawn.

It should be understoodthat changes and modifications in theform,,construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts ofthe tool may be made and, substitutedfor those, herein shown anddescribedwithout departing from the nature and principle ot myinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is- 1. A clean-out tool of oil wells and the likecomprising an elongated shell, a tube disposed coaxlally within theshell ,in the-provision intermediate thelshell and tube of anarinularbucket chamber, means including a screw-conveyor :'-;rotatable in thetube for propelling a stream of excavated material upwardly through thetube,

means mounted transversely within the shell in spacedgelation to theupper end of the tube and having an arcuately shaped annular channel fordeflecting the stream of excavated material from the tube into thebucket chamber, and a closure removably mounted on the shell at thebottom oi. the bucketchari'iber.

i 2. A clean-out-tool for-oilwells-and the like comprising an elongatedshell having a compartmentin'one endthereof, a'itube disposedco-axiall-y within the shell in the provision intermediate the shell andtube of an'annula r-bucket chamber, means including a primemover locatedin saidcompartment and ascrew-conveyor rotatable in the tube anddrivenby said prlmemover for propelling a stream of excavated materialupwardly through the tube, means disposed transversely within the shellin spaced relation to-the upperend-of'thetube and'having an arcuatelyshaped annular channel-for deflecting the stream of excavated materialfrom the tube into the bucket chamber, and a closure removably mountedon the shell-at the bottom of the bucket cham- 3. A clean-out tool foroil wells and the like comprising an elongated shell havinga compartmentin oneend' thereof, a tube disposed co-axially within the shell in theprovision intermediate the' shell andtube ofan annular bucket chamber,meansincludinga .prime mover located in said compartment and ascrew-conveyorirotah able in the tube anddrlvenbysaid prime mover forpropelling a stream ofv excavated material upwardly throughthe tube,means disposed transversely within the shell in spaced relation to theupperiend of, thevtube, and having an arcuately shaped 1 annular channelfor deflecting the stream of excavated material .from the tube into thebucket Y chamber, 1. and. .a closure removably mounted on the shellatthebottom of the bucket chamber, said closure having an enlarged intakeorifice openinginto the lower endcotthe tube.

4. A clean-out toolgforoil wells and the like comprising. an: elongatedshell having a compartment in one endthereof a tube, =disp0sed coaxiallywithin the shell in the provision intermediate, the shell and tube oranannulargbucket chamber, means including a prime movenlocated in saidcompartment, and a screw-conveyor; rotatable in the tube and driven bysaid prime mover for propelling a stream of excavated material ofexcavated material from; the tube into the bucket chamber, and a closureremovably mounted on the shell atthe bottom of the bucket chamber, said;closurehaving an enlarged intake orifice opening into the lower end ofthe tube and being provided with apluralityyof downwardly projectingprongs for well engagement for preventing rotation of the shell. 1

ELI- TATAibi IICH.

